景德傳燈錄 8.9

8.9

Upādhyāya Dashan of Shishuang (also written 'Shilong') in Tanzhou. A monk asked, "What is the great meaning of the Buddhadharma?" The Master said, "A cock crows on a spring day." The monk said, "I do not understand." The Master said, "A dog barks in mid-autumn." The Master entered the hall and said, "Come out, assembly, come out! This old fellow has an essential Dharma: after a hundred years it will not burden you." The assembly said, "We invite the Upādhyāya to speak it." The Master said, "It does not take a heap of fire." Dongshan asked, "The boy in front of the table was very capable in affairs; now he is not seen—where has he gone?" The Master said, "He could not stay atop the flames, so he returned to the world of cool clarity."